Update

Hey, don't take our bashing of WiFi too seriously...
...you still have a gorgeous boat! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
And it shouldn't be a big deal to get your internal router connected via 3G instead of WiFi, if and when you'll decide to do so. Probably easier than keeping both in parallel.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Why paperless? The paper jobs print your lat/long course and speed every 15mins on ticker tape. If your electronics go down that is just what you want. You can get the paper charts out and finish your passage. Realistically you're not going to keep a 15minute paper decklog, and anywhy why do something manually when a machine can do it easier/better?

[/ QUOTE ]
I knew you were going to say that /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

All I want is a quick forecast and I've no space or desire to have some 70's style till printer sat close to my carbon fibre dash.

Point taken on the lat/long bit, but got a spare hand-held GPS for that /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
I agree with jfm
On our longer passages I get SWMBO to write a log entry about every half hour. We record position as a GPS fix, time, speed and direction. That way, we could always reconstruct our position reasonably accurately is anything went wrong. I've always thought it would be good to have this done automatically onto a printout. I would then add other stuff like depth as well.

This has made me think - using my new onboard PC that I'm integrating into the boat, I could write a little Windows app that does all this in the background onto a simple ticket printer - the extra cost would be next to nothing.

Still not sure about Navtex - is there anything else out there - any good satellite TV channels for weather etc.
 
Yeah but 3G internet is contract not PAYG so you can't just get SIM cards and contracts in multiple countries, hence need fro roaming imho.
 
:-) I suppose I see the paper as ultimate backup, eg if the whole GPS system goes down. Not really necessary I know. Actually they dont look quite 1970's shop till. Not pretty enough for the main dashboard I agree but perfectly ok located by the electrics panel or in a cupboard!

P1200027.sized.jpg
 
You must have a complete library of pic of every nooke and crany on your boat!!(Presuming you're not on the boat at the moment!)

Can i test you??

Show us a pic of..........the lazarette!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Al.
 
Talking of back up radar scanner, see pix of boat just added to Al's Norway thread. That has a back up cheapie small scanner mounted on top of the open scanner job
 
I did my Yachtmaster with Clive in the Med.
It seems to me that even in thick fog and without any instruments other than a log compas and depth you can very easily get into any of the marinas in his area of Spain without much drama.
Just head for a known side of the marina (in his area it always seemed to be the West side) and follow the 5m contour - normally right into the harbour.

So, considering this and the fact that I always keep a handheld GPS in the grab bag I will just stick with the main radar - no backup. I know it doesnt do anything for colision avoidance but I'm a great believer in only going as fast as your stopping distance and not relying blindly on the radar.
Like most of us on here, I've been in VERY thick fog where even the slowest of boat speeds are too fast and the radar, of course, becomes a major part of safety but, as has been said previously on this thread, the kit is prety robust and reliable and as long as you dont set off with a doggy system it should be ok.
 
Yes I have photos of almost everything. Kinda handy when you dont live nearby and need to plan mods or tell a captain how to fix something! Not on the boat at moment, in boring London. Go to boat Friday night. The Sq58 doesn't have a full-on lazerette. The engines and engine room are further back than other 58 footers, becuase the hull runs under the swim platform. It has instead the utility room off the galley (that you mentioned in a post ages ago, remember?), which is kinda like a lazerette infront of the engine room if you get my drift, tho on my boat it is fitted out as a crew cabin. And yes I have pictures but they show it very untidy so I'm not going to post on here. :-)
 
Actually, not picking a fight mike, but I see it differently. I think you should set up your boat so you can drive it faster than the naked eye stopping distance. Eg on long night passages on a new moon night it is pitch black outside and you rely 99% on radar with occasional flick-on the search light. If you stick to principle of only going as fast as your naked eye stopping distnace then you would have to refrain from much night passage work.

I think night passages in the med are great. It's warm and nice weahter. Guests go to sleep in (say) antibes and wake up for breakfast in Elba, or wherever :-)

You have a brilliant digital radar, so you can easily cruise 16kts at night imho and "see" using only radar for most of the time
 
Thats ok, I'll save you the embarrassment of posting pics of an untidy boat!! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

I do remember, and thought it very clever too.
Dam, I've just looked back and i have pics of the engines and rudders, some interior pics, but none of the crew cabin, but i do remember what it was like.

Cheers

Al.
 
OK - so something else to think about.
I do know others on this forum that do exactly as you say.
As I say - at the moment I wouldnt but I DO intend doing a lot more night cruising in the Med - especially at a nice gentle pace. Presumabley if the sea is comfortable, you could even have dinner and others on the boat could relax/sleep through a night passage?
Not done much of this before as the UK waters arent very conducive to that sort of thing!!
 
[ QUOTE ]
you can't just get SIM cards and contracts in multiple countries

[/ QUOTE ]Really? Can't see why, I'd even think that it would be against the law to deny a EU citizen the subscription of contracts in another EU Country...
 
[ QUOTE ]
cheapie small scanner

[/ QUOTE ]Cheapie, a 36NM Furuno?
There are plenty of workboats around relying only on that one....
 
Fwiw, I fully agree with jfm on this one.
Think about it, if you don't accept the idea of relying on electronics, nowadays you should rather use a bicycle than a MoBo, 'cause even the engines would stop working in the event of a major electronic fault.
Not to mention airplanes!
 
I'm not saying that I dissagree with jfm or many others on this forum, but this is a different matter to just an argument as to whether technology is better than the old ways of doing things and I will need to be absolutely sure of things before I change my mind.
Bashing along at 22knots in thick fog isnt safe IMO.

We had a scare on one of our first encounters in fog.
During a X channel passage, we were approaching the main shipping lanes in a reasonably thick fog looking out for ships and concentrating on the radar. Suddenly a very small day fishing boat (no cuddy) appeared and we missed them by a mere 50 yards - absolutely no radar footprint and in a place where you wouldnt have expected them (in the shipping lanes) - totally irrisponsible of them IMO but thats no good to anyone if you were to hit them is it? Our boat was new to us at the time and I made a grab for the helm but (as you'd expect) the autopilot had it and nothing happened. Since then, I've learned not to push the boat at a speed faster than you are able to stop and that the throttles are the things to grab in an emergency - not the helm.

Still - with a better radar I might rethink my ideas on this matter.
 
Yep for night passages it is better to be at minimum planing speed. Ie get her up to 20kts then throttle back to 14 or 15 ish. More comfortable for guests, esp in the front cabin. And only do it in calm weahter anyway

For night dinner underway I find it better to throttle back to full displ speed, ie 7 or 8 knots or so. Again this only works on flat seas! If you are lucky you get a nice sunset dolphin display to entertain your dinner guests!
 
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